Showing titles in Physics

The beauty of fractal patterns and their relation to chaos, as well as the history of chaos, and its uses in the real world and implications for the philosophy of science are all discussed in this Very Short Introduction audiobook.

Are we alone in the universe—or is life a cosmic inevitability? Life in the Cosmic Context goes beyond the conventional search for extraterrestrial biology, asking deeper questions about the very nature of life and our place in an immense, evolving cosmos. In this groundbreaking work, astrobiology becomes more than the science of life beyond Earth; it is a philosophical lens for reimagining what life itself can be. From the origins of life on Earth to the potential for entirely different biochemistries elsewhere, this book challenges listeners to rethink what is possible.

Von einer Klimakatastrophe zur nächsten schlingernd entwickelte sich unsere Erde. Am Ende war da der Mensch, entstanden aus Sternenstaub – alles nur Zufall? Oder war hier ein Schöpfergott beteiligt? Heino Falcke und Jörg Römer gehen Herkunft und Zukunft unserer Welt auf den Grund: Sie sprechen mit Persönlichkeiten aus Quantenphysik, Evolutionsbiologie, Klimaforschung, Philosophie und Theologie und entwerfen eine anschauliche und lebendige Geschichte unseres blauen Planeten und der Entwicklung des Menschen.

Ambassadors from Earth relates the story of the first unmanned space probes and planetary explorers - from the Sputnik and Explorer satellites launched in the late 1950's to the thrilling interstellar Voyager missions of the '70's - that yielded some of the most celebrated successes and spectacular failures of the space age. Jay Gallentine delivers a quirky and unforgettable look at the lives and legacy of the Americans and Soviets who conceived, built, and guided those unmanned missions to the planets and beyond.

All life as we know it is carbon-based and reliant on sources of liquid water and energy for its survival; it is also, of course, known from just one planet: the Earth, a world perfectly suited to host life. But across a universe of at least 100 billion habitable, earthlike worlds, life cannot be restricted to just this one place. Or can it?

The discovery of the quantum - the idea, born in the early 1900s in a remote corner of physics, that energy comes in finite packets instead of infinitely divisible quantities - planted a rich set of metaphors in the popular imagination. Quantum imagery and language now bombard us like an endless stream of photons. Phrases such as multiverse, quantum leap, alternate universe, the uncertainty principle, and Schrödinger's cat get reinvented continually in cartoons and movies, coffee mugs and T-shirts, and fiction and philosophy.

Can two particles become inextricably linked, so that a change in one is instantly reflected in its counterpart, even if a universe separates them? Albert Einstein's work suggested it was possible, but it was too bizarre, and too contrary to how we then understood space and time, for him to...

A short and entertaining introduction to thermodynamics that uses real-world examples to explain accessibly an important but subtle scientific theory.

The inside story of how nuclear energy—long considered scary, controversial, and even apocalyptic—has become the hot topic of the climate debate, and perhaps a vital power source of the future On June 21, 2016, Pacific Gas & Electric Company announced a plan to shutter California’s last...

What has quantum physics taught us about consciousness and the nature of reality? Are we living in a simulation? In order for matter to exist, does it need to be observed? Join Dr. Trevor Lohman as he grapples with these questions and others, plunging listeners into a sea of quantum strangeness while simultaneously helping them navigate these incredibly choppy waters.

If you've ever found yourself fascinated by the idea of quantum computing but feel a little overwhelmed by the mind-blowing subject of quantum mechanics or concerned by climate change but haven't been able to get to grips with the details of global warming, this book is for you.

Quantum computing has the promise to be the next huge thing in technology. How do we know that? Look at how much the big players in tech are investing in the technology. Quantum Computing For Dummies preps you for the amazing changes that are coming with the world of computing built on the phenomena of quantum mechanics. Need to know what is it and how does it work? This easy-to-understand book breaks it down and answers your most pressing questions.

The first problem of man was to find his way about on the earth. Hence the art of measuring the earth (geodesy) became the source of the science of space, which derived its name geometry from the Greek word for earth. From the very outset, however, the measure of time arose from the regular changes of night and day, the phases of the moon, and the seasons. These phenomena forced themselves on mans attention and caused him to direct his gaze toward the stars, which were the source of the science of the universe, cosmology.

In 1965, the great American physicist Richard Feynman famously proclaimed, "I think I can safely say that nobody understands Quantum Mechanics." Is there any wonder why? Particles that pop in and out of existence... Spooky action at a distance that travels faster than light... Infinite universes and branching realities? In this book, we will break through the confusion and reveal to you the most important ideas of Quantum Physics, told through the amazing true story of just 4 bizarre discoveries.

A Degree in a Book: Cosmology is the perfect introduction to cosmology, astronomy, and astrophysics, written by one of NASA's leading astronomers and educators. Filled with helpful diagrams, suggestions for further reading and easily digestible history sections, this audiobook makes it easier than ever to understand the workings of the Universe. Featuring the most important ideas in the field, including the theory of relativity, the standard model, loop quantum gravity, and supersymmetry, it covers the whole breadth of cosmology.

From the 17th century to the 21st century, humans went from being almost universally agrarian with sailing vessels, muskets, and astrolabes being the most cutting-edge technology on the planet, to an era where the world is almost universally industrial or post-industrial with airplanes, cars, spaceships, computers, widespread electricity, and the ability to produce much more food than was ever possible before the Industrial Revolution.

There are approximately 25,000 "city killer" asteroids in near-Earth orbit—and most are yet to be found. Small enough to evade detection, they are capable of large-scale destruction, and represent our greatest cosmic threat. But in September 2022, against all odds, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission deliberately crashed a spacecraft into a carefully selected city killer, altering the asteroid's orbit. In How to Kill an Asteroid, award-winning science journalist Robin George Andrews reveals the development of the technology that made it possible

This book is the first to examine the history of imaginative thinking about intelligent machines. As real Artificial Intelligence (AI) begins to touch on all aspects of our lives, this long narrative history shapes how the technology is developed, deployed, and regulated. It is therefore a crucial social and ethical issue. Part I of this book provides a historical overview from ancient Greece to the start of modernity. Part II focuses on the 20th and 21st centuries in which a greater density of narratives emerge alongside rapid developments in AI technology.

Over the past few years, devastating tsunamis off the coast of the Indian Ocean have killed hundreds of thousands of people. Even more alarmingly, scientists predict that these tsunamis, as well as a series of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, will be striking with even greater frequency and may eventually threaten Hawaii, California, and Oregon.

The aurora borealis, often referred to as the Northern Lights, is a natural light-show that appears in the sky around the north magnetic pole. Auroras can sometimes be seen in other places of the world, but not as clearly. In the southern hemisphere, the phenomenon is called "aurora australis".